FAQs: this huge site

With regard to the bibliographies, pre Nov. 2009 titles were sent by publishers/authors or purchased by the site owner. Post Nov. 2009 added book listings include source information.

Why did you create this huge children's
and young adult literature Web site?

When I quit my day job to become a full-time writer,
my commitment was not only to my own work (which is nevertheless my life's
blood) but also to the body and community of children's and young adult
literature as a whole.

As a young girl, my mother took me every Saturday morning
to our local public library. Books became some of my best friends, a relationship
that continued to grow and deepen as I entered elementary school and beyond.

Much of the happiness I've enjoyed in this life would've
never come to pass if it hadn't been for books and their influence on me.
In sum, I love reading. I love writing. I love readers and writers and
artists and teachers and librarians and publishing people and booksellers
and literature analysts and, well, you get the idea....

This Web site is my way of giving something back.

Do you make any money off the site?

No.

How do you have any time to write?

Some days I don't. Generally speaking, though, the site
and my blogs take about an hour a day to update, up to another two for
correspondence. That leaves me plenty of time for reading and writing and
traveling and speaking. I've heard there's something also called "a
life," but I'm not sure what that means. This is as close as I've
come.

Who is the primary audience for
this site?

To the extent I can tell, school and public librarians
use the site the most, followed by teachers, university children's/YA literature
professors and their library/education students, writers, illustrators,
book marketers, young readers, parents, other child care givers, publishing
journalists, and mainstream media writers.

How much traffic does this site generate?

According to SmarterStats, the site attracts 40,000
to 60,000 visitors monthly. Though it varies, most visitors are from: the
United States; Canada; the United Kingdom; France; Australia; the Netherlands;
Italy; Spain; and Germany. Within the U.S., most hail from: California;
New York; Washington; Virginia; Georgia; Texas; New Jersey; Illinois; and
Pennsylvania. Most Canadians hail from: Ontario; Alberta; British Columbia;
and Quebec.

What if I want to print and/or distribute materials
on this site?

You are welcome to print a copy for your personal reference.
By simply using the print function in your browser, you'll receive a black-and-white
text copy without the background graphics, colors, and sidebars.

If you would like to print and distribute copies of any pages for non-commercial
educational use, you are welcome to do so. However, please keep the copyright
information intact, provide my URL (www.cynthialeitichsmith.com) for reference,
and let me know. I'm always delighted when the materials are of use to educators.

What if I want to republish
materials on this site from my own site, blog, or a real-space publication?

Please contact me for related discussion and potential
legal permission. Among other issues, compensation and full attribution
would be considerations.

How can I support this
site?

Basically, do what the site does: go big picture. Use
your voting power to support school and public libraries. Use your dollars
to support quality trade books. Read at the library, at home, in schools,
everywhere you go. Spread the word that good books matter. Looking for
something more? Please consider supporting If
I Can Read, I Can Do Anything, "assisting Indian Communities in
Increasing Literacy Skills While Preserving Native American Identity."